Improvement in elevated railroads



UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE..

WILLIAM E.. WILLIAMS, or LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEVATED RAILROADS.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.I 70,666., dated November 5, 1867.

To all whom it may concern:

Bc it known that I, WILLIAM Ell. WILLIAMS, of Little Falls, in the county of Herkimer, in

the State of New York, have invented a new Figure l is a central longitudinal section of an elevated street-railroad whose trackis suspended from towers placed at the intersections of cross-streets and other places. Fig. 2 is a plan; Fig. 3 is an end view.

Similar letters indicate correspon din g parts.

This invention relates to elevated railroads, and 'is especially adapted for use in cities where it is desirable to provide means for transporting passengers and'freight without interfering with the ordinary use of the streets and thoroughfares.

It consists ot" au elevated suspended railroad track or tracks, which .are carried along the course of a street which has the proper directlon over the roadway thereof, heilig suspended above the same from towers of peculiar construction, which are placed at the intersections of thc cross-streets or at other Suitable places.

Where crossstreets are. very near to each other it is not necessary to place va supportingtower at each cross-street, and where they are at very great distances apart it may be desirable to place a tower at a point intermediate of the crossstreets. Y The track here shown is a double track', so that ltrains can move in opposite directions at the same time, and it is laid upon ties or crosspieces extending from side to side of the structure, which are held up by strong cables that extend throughout the line of the railroad, which cables are connected to the frame of the track in any suitable way.

The towers are so constructed and arranged that teams and passengers can go in every direction beneath them without obstruction, being elevated upon columns which rise from the corners of the sidewalks within the line of the curb-stone, so that the intersecting cross-streets as well 'als'the street beneaththe railroad are wholly unobstructed.

The letter A designates supporting-towers,

which'rest upon iron columns B, whose foundations are beneath the pavement.4 The foundations are made strong, andthe columns are of suitable size to give the strength required. The columns are connected to each other by a horizontal frame composed of iron girders-U, of great strength, which are placedat asuitable height above the ground to allow vehicles of any size or character to pass beneath without interference. -The track of the railroad rests on said frame, and the latter-is connected to the top of vthe tower bystrong cable connections D I), or vby strong rods of iron or steel. Y

From the columns B spring a series of -powerful'arches, asshown inthe drawing-to Wit, transverse arches E E, which span the I main thoroughfare at right angles, and arches -F-F, which span it in diagonal directions. The diagonal arches intersect each other at their highest points, and are permanently secured together at the place of intersection, sofas to form a compound arch, whose members rest on distinct 'bases-that is to say, on the `col- 'gumns B-and meet at their crowns or summits. The diagonal arches and the transverse arches are vtied or connected together tirmly by holf low cross beams or rods G', which extend from one transverse 'arch'across the dia gonal arches tothe-oth er transverse arch, being permanently secu'red to each arch by means ot' bolts, bands, straps, or other suitable ide'vices, or by going directly through the several arches. I us'efat least as many such tie beams or rods `as there are suspension-cables,` not conn'nin-g myself to` that number, however 5 but I use as many such connecting tie-beams as are required to hold the-several arches in their proper Iposiplaces on the towers by the hollow tie-beams G aforesaid, through which they are passed.

. Themode of connecting the cables H with the track of the railroad .is by verticalconnecting cables or rods I, in the usual manner of making suspensioirbridges, or in any other proper manner, and the usual or other suitable provision is made in building the structure for preventing lateral or other displacement of differentl localities, and said staircases are' straight or spiral, or continuous. or in successi ivefights, as may be desired, dependingon the width allowed for the 'staircases, and on circumstances of position and elevation.

The girders or frame C, which connect the columns B and aid to sustain the railroad, are made open, in order to allow light to be transmitted through to the streetbelow. The open spaces between the girders or frame() may be :filled with glass or other transparent material which will allow passengers to walk thereon. The track of the railroad is open throughout, its` several parts being made of steel, iron, or other suitable metal, which combinlesthe least bulkk with the required stren gth,

` `sothatthe transmission of light to the street below it will not be materially obstructed.

The rails of the tracks rest directly upon tiesor cross-pieces, which each extend from y side to side of the railroad, and are firmly and permanently secured to them. The cables 011 which theroadissuspended are connectedtothe tlesror cross-pieces by the vertical connections D, so that in making and supporting the track or `tracks I use only a series of ties combined with the rails on,which the carsvrun,and with the cables through said vertical connections D,

. ailooring on the track being y used or not, as Adesired, and the bars at the endsof the ties,

which inthis example connect their ends, being .used or not used, as may be preferred.

H y It willl` be observed that my suspended or elevated railroad'does not extend over the sidewalks ofthe street along which it is taken, but that it is confined to the road or carriageway above which it extends along its center for a width suitable for two or moretracks. If desired, the interspaces of the rails andthe y spaces outside of and between the tracks may be` covered with a flooring of glass or other transparent material like that proposed for the frame C; or sald spaces may be covered with wire-cloth, which will serve to prevent objects .from fallin g through th e track, and yet allow the transmission of light. I apply india-rubber, or equivalent material, in the usual manner, for deadening sound under the rails of the track. When therailroad crosses wide squares or open spaces, additional towers are provided; but I make the towers and the other parts of the structure of such strength as to sustain a line of railroad from one hundred to ten hundred feet in length between the towers.

The mode above shown of making a supporting-tower combines an unyieldin g support in a vertical direction with a perfect resistance to lateral strain, the burden put thereon by the track itself and by trains going upon it being equally sustained by all the arches, which are all alike supported upon the same columns at a distance from the points where the cables rest on the arches. i

I am, by this construction, enabled to combine simplicity and economy in the supporting-towers on which the elevated railroad rest-s with a small degree of bulk, so that light is obstructed to only a slight degree, while the utmost security'desired is obtained; and I am enabled by means of my invention to eX- tend my suspension-railway in continuity `for many miles, the towers being the restsf whichelevate and support` the track in successive span.` The suspending-cables H are anchored, in the ordinary manner, at the ends of the railroad.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. The elevated railroad consisting ofa track or tracks suspended over a street by means of towers A and 4cables H, substantially as described.

2. The supporting-towers A, constructed as above described-namely, by combining and arranging together, substantially as shown, the transverse arches E and the compound diagonal arches F, said arches all springing from the columns B. 4

3. The hollow connecting-beams G,which tie `the arches to each` other, -in combination `with the supporting-cables H, which 

